A lot has been written about how the Libby commutation undermines the rule of law, which Republicans are supposed to care about. The White House ducks this criticism. That’s bad enough, but to be expected. What’s deeply galling is simultaneously trying to portray the president as a high defender of legal principle. Bush’s aides keep going on about how he worked to preserve the integrity of the jury system by allowing Libby’s conviction itself to stand. “The president also believes, for those who were arguing on behalf of a pardon, that you need to respect the jury system,” said Snow. … (No mention, of course, of that other legal principle: The system can’t function with people lying and obstructing justice.)